Bishops Respond to Attacks on Churches and Pro-Life Organizations

U.S. bishops this week pleaded for an end to the ongoing attacks on Catholic churches and pro-life pregnancy centers. While the U.S. bishops have tracked 139 cases of church attacks since 2020, such incidents have increased following the leak of a draft opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. In response to these ongoing attacks, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Religious Liberty, and Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement calling on elected officials to stand against the violence. 

“Since the leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, charities that support pregnant mothers in need have been firebombed, and pro-life organizations have been attacked almost daily and terrorized, and even the lives of Supreme Court justices have been directly threatened”, the bishops wrote. “In light of this, we urge our elected officials to take a strong stand against this violence, and our law enforcement authorities to increase their vigilance in protecting those who are in increased danger.”

Dolan and Lori also highlighted the Church’s work as the largest provider of social services in the U.S., including its “long history of service to those who are most vulnerable, including both mother and child.” The bishops also encouraged the faithful to “choose the path of peace and open our hearts to the love that God has for his children.”

The full USCCB statement can be read here.